2500 Vanilla Marines

This list is designed around hitting hard and fast on the opponent and using high mobility to dominate the game. I also decided to do something different with the list, so I based it around Calgar - most people would favour Lysander if they made a combatty Named Character list, maybe Shrike, or even just a captain/chaplain. As you've seen from my last list, I've also fallen in love with drop pods - this list isn't entirely based around them like the last one, but there's a few in there.

The list is designed to eliminate enemy threats quickly, with precise and heavy firepower. The Ironclads are directly for this, I'm sure y'all know the tactic of dropping them behind a transport, killing it with hunter-killers and heavy flamering the contents to death. The tactical squad in drop pod lets me get both Dreads down in turn one, and helps with dropping them onto an objective quickly. Bikes are great for pushing on to anything threatening nice and quickly, and at dropping it quickly - the TL bolter + MM shots followed by a charge can take most things out of the game quickly. Turbo-boosting right at the end of a game to contest an obective is always useful too - it can force a draw, or even pull out a win at the last moment. Vindicators work great in pairs, and provide great mobile firepower.

Oh, and a note on the Calgar thing: I think he works well in the list because its a list designed to get stuck in - its primarily short-ranged firepower and when needed, the Ironclads, Tac squads and Bikes can hold their own in the CC phase - its not desirable, but thats what the God of War rule is there for: to cover emergencies, really - if its a point where I need to not fall back or take more casualties, I can auto-pass tests. Besides that, he's a nice all-round CC character - hes not as survivable as a model with a Storm Shield, but hes not squishy either - and his re-rolls ensure I get the wounds I need.

Just a few things I need help with: other than the missile launchers, it seems I'm lacking on long-ranged weapons. The list is designed primarily around short-ranged firepower, the only long ranged I have is missiles and the Predators, so theres nothing stopping bike lists, or anything fast moving, just running away from the short ranged stuff. This also poses problems against Tau in particular, and possibly shooty Eldar lists, 75% of their weapons are 36" or longer and so I'll get out shot fairly easily. Secondly - its not armour heavy, but its not armour light either - I'm not sure whether I need more or less vehicles, or whether I'm okay.

HQ: He is great but I think the unit he is in has plenty of S8 goodness. He could be dropped for a cheap chaplin to make more termies hit or even a librarian to give psy defence.

Elites: In a LRR they could take a chance and take 1-3 L claw guys to allocate wounds to after I4 has attacked. PW hits obviously still go on TH/SS guys for the better saves. Dreads are great.

Troops: In 2500 points you will need more than 30. Combat squadding can help so drop meltabombs and swap rhinos for razorbacks. If you drop calgar for a bike captain and a cheap chaplin then your bike units would also be scoring.

Fast: Take 2 meltas per unit as well and ditch the meltabombs. Few tanks will survive 2 meltas and a MM followed by 3 PF attacks.